1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a means of mounting side view mirrors on a motor vehicle in the absence of its doors, specifically to a quickly installed and quickly removable tubular bracket that supports a side view mirror and is connected at a minimum to the upper hinge structure remaining on the side of the vehicle after the door is removed. On two-door 4×4 off road vehicles commonly referred to as JEEP, two hinge members remain after a door is removed, one above the other and set at a spaced-apart distance from one another, and different embodiments of the present invention can be made to engage one or both of them. The mounting bracket herein further has a central angle that follows the angle of the windshield for aesthetic, practical, and aerodynamic purposes, with the brackets used for securing driver and passenger mirrors to the vehicle without doors being slightly different in configuration from one another to provide optimum driver visibility. In addition, or in the alternative, the present invention may also be used for the attachment of other devices to a motor vehicle when its doors are removed, such as but not limited to a step or foothold, light, reflector, and/or other safety devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
In vehicles that have removable doors, such as a JEEP, the side view mirrors used for enhanced driver visibility are typically mounted to the doors. Thus, when the doors are removed, a driver must make other accommodations to achieve optimum visibility around the vehicle while it is being driven. One means for making side view mirrors available for driver use in the absence of vehicle doors is to fasten them with something inserted through the longitudinal bore of the door hinge structure remaining on the vehicle. However, such an attachment means is weak, and during off-road adventures can result in the loss of the mirror. In contrast, the present invention tubular structure slides over the hinge and is fastened directly to it, giving it a more sturdy connection to the vehicle. Also, when the present invention is manufactured to have a longer tubular mounting bracket structure, the vertical portion of the mounting bracket structure located below the upper door hinge functions to reduce the scratching of paint on the side of the vehicle to which it is attached from repeated contact with branches, brush, and other natural materials encountered during off-road excursions. However, as an option, a separate brush guard accessory can be attached to the elongated portion of the tubular mounting bracket structure for even more protection of the vehicle paint from off-road contact.
The invention thought to be most closely related to the present invention is that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,088 to Sacknoff (1989). However, the Sacknoff device engages a different hinge than is used by the present invention, and the Sacknoff invention also uses a different portion of the hinge for its connection. Instead of the sliding manner in which the present invention tubular bracket covers the remaining tubular portion of the door hinge structure still attached to the vehicle after its doors are removed, the distal end of the Sacknoff invention is secured by fasteners to the associated flat portion of one of the hinges on the hood of the vehicle used to lower the front windshield. No other apparatus or method is known that functions in the same manner as the present invention or provides all of its advantages.